Welcome to Hollywood Graveyard, where we set
out to remember and celebrate the lives of those who lived to entertain us, by visiting
their final resting places. Today we're heading up the coast to the Bay Area, to San Francisco,
where we'll find such stars as Shirley Temple, Joe DiMaggio, Eddie Fisher, and many more.
Join us, won't you? San Francisco, the city by the bay. Home to
Silicon Valley giants like Apple, and entertainment giants like Pixar, here in the Bay Area we'll
find the eternal homes of not only entertainers, but industry giants, entrepreneurs, athletes,
and folk figures, all part of the story of this great city. We've got quite a few cemeteries
to visit during our time here, so let's get rolling. Oh and be sure to wear some flowers
in your hair. On our way up the coast we'll stop just outside
of San Jose, at Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery in Los Altos. Our first stop was a rather
personal visit for me. During my high school years, one of my favorite bands was No Use
for a Name. I caught them many times on the Warped Tour circuit. They were a punk rock
band, one of the headlining acts to come out of Fat Wreck Chords, fronted by guitarist
and vocalist Tony Sly. The band formed in the late 80s in San Jose. They rose in popularity
in the 90s, having a hit in the song Soulmate when it played on MTV...
back when MTV played music. [music] Tony Sly also found success in solo acoustic work. The lyrics here on his stone are from
his song, Via Munich. Tragically, Tony Sly died in his sleep in 2012 at just 41, after
which No Use disbanded. Thanks for the music Tony! Let's continue north to the Palo Alto area, and Alta Mesa Memorial Park. It was founded
in 1904 on around 72 acres. The first section in from the gate on the right is section A.
Let's point our camera into the blinding setting sun, and find the grave of Frank Bacon. He
was an actor and writer in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. He found his greatest
successes later in life, writing and starring in the 1918 play Lightnin', which set a Broadway
record for the day of 1,291 performances. The play would be made into a silent film,
and later a talkie starring Will Rogers. As an actor Bacon can also be seen in a handful
of silent films. He died at age 58 in Chicago after a final performance in Lightnin'. He
was the father of Irving Bacon, who we visited at Fort Rosecrans.
Our next stop is a short distance south on this same lawn. In toward the wall we find
David Packard. If your computer or printer are an HP, you can thank David Packard, the
P in HP, Hewlett-Packard. David was an electrical engineer who co-founded HP with Bill Hewlett
in 1939 in Packard's garage. Their first product was an oscillator sold to Disney for Fantasia.
The company grew to be major producers of electronic devices like calculators, computers,
and printers. He lived to be 83. Another Silicon Valley giant who rests here
is Steve Jobs. However, his grave is unmarked, and the family has requested that his location
not be divulged by the cemetery. There are rumors that he rests in one of the unmarked
graves somewhere in this section, but we just don't know for sure. If you re watching this
video on an iphone or ipad, you can thank Steve Jobs, the co-founder and genius behind
Apple. The company formed in 1976 and operated out of Steve's garage, to sell the Apple 1
personal computer designed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Through the vision and leadership
of Steve Jobs, Apple would become the world's largest technology company, and one of the
most valuable companies in the world. Even some of the footage you'll see in today's
video was shot on an iphone. Steve Jobs also had a major impact on computer animation.
He saw the early potential in a little company called Pixar, and funded it. So without Steve
Jobs, there would be no Toy Story. He left us far too soon though, after battling cancer.
He died in 2011 at the age of 56, and at the time was one of the most well-known business
leaders in the world. Let's continue south down Chapel Road to the
Urn Garden. Here we find Tennessee Ernie Ford. He was a singer and television personality
who found fame in the 50s and 60s, known for his rich baritone voice and down-home humor.
Principally a country music artist, he had a chart-topping hit in the track Sixteen Tons,
his signature song. [music] On television Ford hosted his own Variety show, and would appear on other shows like
I Love Lucy and Hee Haw. Later in life he produced gospel music, earning a Grammy and
a place in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame.
He died from liver failure at the age of 72. Near the southern end of the cemetery is a
mausoleum complex. Let's pass through to the southern exterior wall, where we find a legend
of Hollywood, Shirley Temple. There are a handful of individuals who have become indelible
icons of cinema: Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, Marilyn Monroe's blonde bombshell,
and a bright-eyed curly top little girl named Shirley Temple, the quintessential child starlet.
In the 1930's she was not only the most popular child star in the world, but also the biggest
box-office draw - her bright and cheerful presence on screen was panacea for a weary nation gripped
by a great depression. At the tender age of 6 she was awarded a special Juvenile Academy
Award. Among her popular films of the era are Bright Eyes, Heidi, and Curly Top. "When I grow up, in a year or two or three, I'll be happy as can be, like a birdie in
the tree." She made a number of films as a young woman
as well, including The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer alongside Cary Grant. She retired from acting
by age 22, but made a brief return to television in 1958 hosting a fairy-tale anthology series,
Shirley Temple's storybook. Later in life she began a diplomatic career, representing
the US at the United Nations, and serving as an ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
She died from COPD at the age of 85. Heading northeast now to Hillview Section,
we visit one for you Deadheads: music legend Pigpen McKernan. He was a singer and instrumentalist,
a founding member of the legendary San Francisco counterculture band, the Grateful Dead. The
psychedelic band fused elements of rock, blues, folk, and country, with performances that
were often improvisational -- a jam band. Pigpen sang in the band, and played harmonica and
keyboards. [music] By his mid-20s Pigpen's alcohol abuse began to affect his health, and in 1973 he was found
dead from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage, joining Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison
in the ill-fated 27-Club. In 1994 he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Our last stop here at Alta Mesa is up in section D, along the east road. Here we find husband
and wife writers, Charles and Kathleen Norris. Charles Gilman Norris was a novelist and playwright.
His first book, The Amateur, was published in 1916, followed by the popular 1919 novel,
Salt. He also wrote three plays. Charles rests here with his wife Kathleen
Norris, also an accomplished writer. She was one of the most widely read female authors
in her day. Many of her 93 novels became best-sellers, and several were made into films, including
the Mary Pickford film, My Best Girl, and Change of Heart. She lived to be 85. Let's now head north up the peninsula to what
is considered a modern-day necropolis. The city of Colma boasts more residents underground
than above, by a ratio of about 1000 to one. The city was founded in 1924 as a necropolis,
with most of its land dedicated to cemeteries, with now over a dozen cemeteries within just
a few miles radius. This was necessitated by the banning of burials in San Francisco
city proper around 1900 due to overcrowding. A few years later, all of San Francisco's
dead occupants were evicted, and moved to the land in Colma. It s sometimes called The
City of the Silent, and its status as a necropolis has given the city the tongue-in-cheek motto,
It's great to be alive in Colma. Let's begin our time in the bay area s great
necropolis at Holy Cross, a Roman Catholic cemetery. Founded in 1887 on 300 acres, it's
the oldest and largest here in Colma. Our first famous find here at Holy Cross is
in section 1, just off a roundabout - a legend in the sports world, The Yankee Clipper, Joe
DiMaggio. His entire 13-year career was played with the New York Yankees, and he's widely
considered one of the greatest ballplayers in history. He led the Yankees to 10 pennants
and 9 World Series Championships, was a 3-time MVP, and had a 56-game hitting streak, a record
that still stands. He retired in 1951 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1955. Joe is also known for his brief marriage to screen goddess, Marilyn Monroe. The marriage
was tumultuous, only lasting 9 months. But Joe never stopped
loving her, and after Marilyn died in 1962, it was Joe DiMaggio who claimed her body,
and made the funeral arrangements at Westwood Village Memorial Park. He had roses delivered
to her grave three times a week for the next 20 years. As Joe lay dying from lung cancer
in 1999, according to his attorney, his final words were "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."
Joe DiMaggio was 84. East of here is the palatial Holy Cross Mausoleum.
Let's take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this building. There is one famous figure to find in these
quiet halls. Not an entertainer, but a woman whose tragic story has become a part of the
dark side of Hollywood history. Here lies Abigail Folger. She was heiress of the Folger
Coffee fortune, and devoted much of her time to volunteer charity work and civil rights
activism in the 60s. On August 9, 1969, Abigail and her boyfriend Voytek Frykowski were at
the home of actress Sharon Tate, when followers of Charles Manson broke into the home and
brutally murdered all its occupants, including Abigail, whose body was discovered the next
morning on the lawn of the home at 10050 Cielo Drive. She was just 25. The events of August
9th 1969 have been the subject of countless documentary and narrative adaptations, including
Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, in which Abigail was portrayed by Samantha
Robinson. Heading back out to the grounds, north of
the mausoleum is St Gabriel Section. Here we find another legendary rock musician of
the counterculture era, Paul Kantner. He was co-founder and guitarist for the bands Jefferson
Airplane, and Jefferson Starship. Formed in 1965, Jefferson Airplane's psychedelic rock
would help define the San Francisco sound. Their hits include White Rabbit and Someone
to Love. [music] Jefferson Airplane would become Jefferson Starship in 1974. The inscription on Paul's tombstone
features unused lyrics from the song Champion. Paul Kantner died from multiple organ failure
after suffering a heart attack in 2016. He was 74. Just next door is section 5. Here we find the final resting place of Kathryn Forbes.
She was a novelist, whose best-known work was Mama's Bank Account, published in 1943.
It would serve as inspiration for the play, I Remember Mama, which was later made into
a film starring Irene Dunne. Kathryn was just 58 when she died. Let's head around now to the far northwestern corner of the cemetery, to section T. In several
rows from the road we find actress Maggie Moore. Born in San Francisco she relocated
to Australia with husband JC Williamson, where they would put on the hit comedic play, Struck
Oil, which premiered in 1873. The success of the play would make her a leading actress
in Australia in the late 19th century. Maggie was also known for her roles in the works
of Gilbert and Sullivan, like The Pirates of Penzance. She would perform in London and
the US as well, eventually retiring back in San Francisco, living to the age of 74. She
died after an operation to remove her leg, after a cable car accident in 1926. Circling back around toward the entrance we find the Our Lady Garden Courts. This is the
niche of opera singer Florence Quartararo. The Italian soprano is known for her time
at the Metropolitan Opera, in productions of Carmen, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi,
and Pagliacci, among many others. Sadly, her career performing ended in 1949 at the behest
of her singer husband when they started a family, saying "one singer in the family is
enough," referring to himself. But her music lives on in the many recordings she made. Back to the road from the main entrance we find this grand private mausoleum, home to
Leon Forrest Douglass. He was an inventor, holding some 50 patents, mostly for film and
sound recording technologies. He was co-founder of the Victor Talking Machine Co, which created
the Victrola, a staple in home audio in the teens and 20s. One account of how the name
Victor came about for the company was after Leon's wife, Victoria, also entombed here.
Leon also innovated early motion picture technologies, patenting a process for filming in natural
color in 1916. He made a film, Cupid Angling in 1918, as one of the very earliest examples
of color film. Other inventions include a triple-scene dissolve camera, zoom lenses,
anamorphic lenses, special effects cameras, underwater cameras, and more, all predecessors
to the movie magic we know today. He lived to be 71. For our next stop we cross over to the southeast corner of the cemetery, and the All Saints
Mausoleum. Heading into the St Anthony of Padua chapel
we find Joe Carcione. He was a television personality known as The Green Grocer. His
syndicated show, The Green Grocer, played on radio and television stations across the
country, where he taught audiences about proper ways to select and prepare produce. He parlayed
this success into best-selling books as well. Joe died from cancer at age 73. Our last stop here at Holy cross is in the next section north, The Star of the Sea. Here
lies the legendary Vince Guaraldi. He was a jazz musician and composer, best known for
writing music for the Peanuts animated specials, including the signature melody, Linus and
Lucy, and the Christmas standard, Christmas Time is Here. He'd write music for all the
Peanuts specials during his life, including It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Outside
of Peanuts he had a Grammy-winning hit in the song, Cast Your Fate to the Wind. Vince
was just 47 when he died from a heart attack. Next door to Holy Cross is the sprawling Cypress
Lawn Cemetery. It's stunning in its grandeur reminded me a little of some of the cemeteries
we found in New York a few years back, like Woodlawn, with the grand aging monuments and
private mausoleums. Founded in 1892 on 150 acres, Cypress Lawn was one of the destinations
for thousands of the dead evicted from San Francisco in the early 20th century. Cypress
Lawn is divided by El Camino Real Road into two sections. We'll begin in the section on
the east side. The first thing you'll notice after passing through the archway into the
cemetery is a massive alabaster columbarium that resembles something Gatsby might have
once lived in. Heading inside we find immediately on the
right the niche of Gertrude Atherton. She was a 19th and 20th century author, who captured
the spirit and romance of Old California in her novels. Several of her writings were adapted
into silent films, including Black Oxen in 1923. And her 1933 story, The Foghorn, was
adapted on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Gertrude lived to be 90. Take a moment to explore in this columbarium. The coloration of these old copper niches
is just stunning. Construction on this Lakeside Columbarium began in 1927, but when the Great
Depression hit, construction was halted. Only the first floor and a small 4th floor were
finished, the second and third floors, and an interior courtyard left unfinished to this
day. This old art deco elevator takes you to the 4th floor... as you can see, no option
for 2 or 3. And were it not for all these loose wires hanging about, I might have ventured
up there. But no. Maybe next time. Let's head back out to the grounds and a little
farther east, stopping at section H and this magnificent Grecian mausoleum. It belongs
to newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst. He's known for creating the nation s largest
newspaper and media company, Hearst Communications. He grew his company through sensationalistic
journalism, with eye-catching headlines over sordid tales of crime, sex, and corruption.
His career began when, through his father, he became owner of the San Francisco Examiner
in 1887. Hearst would grow to own dozens of newspapers nationwide, and expand into radio
and television. He would also produce hundreds of films, many as vehicles for his mistress,
actress Marion Davies. A monument to the grandeur of the life of William Randolph Hearst is
his San Simeon home, Hearst Castle, now a National Historic Landmark. His life story
was the main inspiration for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, considered one of the greatest
movies ever made. Hearst died in 1951 at age of 88 Across the street to section D, in a short ways, is Alvino Rey. Growing up, young Alvino
had a knack for both music and electronics. He was among the early innovators of electric
amplification of stringed instruments, particularly the guitar. He played in a number of bands,
including banjo and guitar, and perhaps most notably, pedal steel guitar. It was Alvino
you heard on slide guitar on Elvis Presley's Blue Hawaii, and in the theme of 1959's
The Bat. [music] In 1935 Gibson approached Alvino to help them develop a prototype pickup, based on the one
he developed for his banjo. The result was used for Gibson's first electric guitar. He
later formed his own band, popular throughout the 40s. Alvino is also known for his association
and collaboration with singing group, The King Sisters. He married one of them: Luise.
The King Sisters were a big band era vocal group, consisting of six sisters from Utah.
Their popularity would lead to a number of film appearances in the 40s. Alvino and Luise
were married for 60 years, and rest here alongside his parents. Heading farther still into the cemetery we reach section K. Close to the road is the
grave of Willie McCovey. He was a major league baseball player, remembered for his 19 seasons
with the San Francisco Giants, playing first base. As of filming he's tied at 20th for
career home runs, 521 in all. During his impressive career he'd be named rookie of the year, an
MVP, and a six-time All Star. After his retirement his number 44 was retired, and the portion
of San Francisco bay beyond the ballpark was named McCovey Bay. In 1986 he was inducted
into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Willie McCovey lived to be 80. If your preferred form of entertainment involves a one-armed bandit, then you may have this
man to thank. Charles Fey is known as the father of the automatic gambling industry.
In the early days gambling, slot machines required an attendant to make a payout. In
1895 Fey invented a slot machine that automatically paid out coins. The most famous of these machines
was the Liberty Bell Slot Machine, which paid out when three bells aligned. Fey installed
the machine in saloons throughout San Francisco, but since gambling was illegal, he couldn't
patent it. Fey died in 1944 at age 82. Hitting the road again to the north end of
the cemetery, in section F, is the distinctive marker of theatrical producer, Steve Silver.
He's known for creating the satirical Beach Blanket Babylon, a San Francisco institution
on stage for decades. It was the world's longest running musical revue, beginning in 1974.
After 45 years, the curtain fell for the last time on Beach Blanket Babylon in 2019. Silver
died from complications of AIDS at the age of 51. His grave features a caricature by
legendary caricaturist of the stars, Al Hirschfeld, perhaps the only of his caricatures executed
in stone, next to his own in New York. Proceeding southwest to section D, near the
road, is Turk Murphy. He was a trombone player and bandleader beginning in the 30s, known
for playing traditional and Dixieland Jazz. In 1960 he opened San Francisco's longest-running
jazz club, Earthquake McGoon s, and his Turk Murphy Jazz Band would later perform at Carnegie
Hall. He continued to perform until his death at age 71. Turk Murphy Lane in San Francisco
is named in his honor. Let's cross over now to the west side of Cypress
Lawn. We'll begin up the hill at the mausoleum. I've been to a lot of mausoleums over the
years, and this one, though deceptively simple from the outside, is quite distinctively
beautiful on the inside, particularly the older sections. This section, E-F-G, was uniquely mesmerizing.
The rustic metal facades on the niches illuminated by a full ceiling of green stained glass with
red highlights. The video does it no justice; this is a must see. They just don t make them
like this anymore. And resting here in this colorful corridor
is an actress named Blanche Bates. She was a popular stage performer here in San Francisco.
She's perhaps best known for originating the role of The Girl in the 1905 production of
The Girl of the Golden West. Other plays include The Darling of the Gods, and Under Two Flags.
She also appeared in a couple silent films, including 1918's The Border Legion. She died
on Christmas Day in 1941, at the age of 68. In a newer part of the mausoleum to the west,
in unit 8, we find the niche of Eddie Fisher. He was a singer and actor, one of the most
popular and best-selling crooners of the 1950s, producing dozens of chart-topping hits. [music] He also hosted his own variety shows on TV,
The Eddie Fisher Show, and Coke Time, which earned him a Golden Globe. Eddie would appear
in a handful of films, including Bundle of Joy alongside first wife Debbie Reynolds,
and Butterfield 8 alongside second wife Elizabeth Taylor. With Reynolds he was the father of
actress Carrie Fisher, of Star Wars fame, and filmmaker Todd Fisher. He's also the father
of actresses Joely and Trisha Leigh Fisher, with third wife Connie Stevens. Eddie Fisher
died at age 82 from complications of hip surgery. Back out to the grounds, at the bottom of
the hill to the south is Cedar Garden, where rests Hale Hamilton. As an actor he got his
start in the silent era, in films like The Great Gatsby, where he was the first actor
to portray Tom Buchanan on screen. He went on to have roles in some popular talkies of
the 30s, including The Girl from Missouri alongside Jean Harlow. Hamilton also authored
a handful of plays. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1942. West of here is Rose Garden section. Under a tree we find a humble marker to actress
Laura Hope Crews. She began performing on stage here in San Francisco and on Broadway
before making her way to film. She's perhaps best remembered today for her role as Aunt
Pittypat Hamilton in Gone with the Wind. Other films include The Silver Cord, and The Blue
Bird, alongside Shirley Temple. She was also a voice coach for silent film actresses like
Gloria Swanson, at the dawn of the talkies. Laura died in 1942, her final appearance being
in the original Broadway production of Arsenic and Old Lace. The next section northwest is the Acacia Garden. Close to the road we find Izora Rhodes-Armstead.
She was a singer, best known as half of singing duo, The Weather Girls in the 80s and 90s.
They had a hit in the song, It's Raining Men. [music] The Weather Girls disbanded in 1988, but Izora would later re-form the group with her daughter,
Dynelle Rhodes, producing another hit, Can You Feel It. Izora died from heart failure
at the age of 62. If you followed the ska punk scene in the
90s, you may have found yourself skanking alongside me to bands like Link 80. Here in
this family garden area we find the final resting place of Nick Traina. He was the lead
singer of the 90s ska punk band from the bay area, Link 80. [music] The band released two albums in 1997. Later
that year Nick left Link 80 to form a new band, but tragically, he died in September
from a lithium overdose. He was just 19. Nick was the son of romance novelist Danielle Steel,
one of the best-selling authors of all time. In his memory, she wrote the book titled His
Bright Light, the proceeds of which go to the Nick Traina Foundation, dedicated to treating
mental illness. The monument here features messages from Nick's family and friends, and
there s also a glass case displaying gifts. Our last stop here at Cypress Lawn is in the
southwestern-most section, Coral Garden. This is where Calvin Simmons is laid to rest. Calvin
found a love of music from an early age, and by 11 was conducting the San Francisco Boys
Chorus. He would go on to work for a time as assistant conductor of the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, before being named as musical director of the Oakland Symphony at the age
of 28. This made him the first African-American man to conduct a major symphony orchestra
in the United States. He would lead the orchestra for four years until his untimely death at
the age of 32 in a canoeing accident near Lake Placid. Next door to Cypress Lawn is a pair of Jewish Cemeteries: Hills of Eternity, and Home of
Peace. Perhaps the most visited grave here at Hills
of Eternity is legendary western lawman, Wyatt Earp, famous for his role as a marshal in
Tombstone Arizona. There in 1881 he was part of the famous shootout at OK Corral, which
would become part of American Western lore. Wyatt moved often, operating saloons, gambling,
and mining. Later in life he would find himself in LA, as a consultant for silent western
films. He died in 1929 at age 80, and among his pallbearers were silent westerns stars
William S. Hart and Tom Mix. Wyatt was cremated, and buried here in the Jewish cemetery, as
his wife Josephine was Jewish. The stone you see here wasn't the first placed. The original
stone was stolen... twice. This new stone was placed in 1999. Wyatt Earp has been portrayed
on screen a number of times, including by Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell. Up a few rows and across the street we find Russian actor, Savely Kramarov. He found success
in his native Russia as a comedian and actor, making around 40 films there. By the late
70s he was one of the Soviet Union s most popular film stars. But he decided to leave
the Soviet Union for religious freedom. He was denied by the Soviet government, but made
pleas directly to President Reagan and was finally allowed to leave in 1981. He became
persona non grata in the Soviet Union, and saw his name and films banned there. Here
in the states, he appeared in a number of film roles, including in Moscow on the Hudson
alongside Robin Williams. He died at age 60 after complications during surgery for cancer.
His unique gravestone features casts of his various masks, scripts, and makeup kit a permanent
tableau of an actor. Home of Peace cemetery is just across the
main street to the north. Let's begin here at the mausoleum.
Turning left from the entrance into a columbarium we find the niche of Alfred Hertz. He was
a conductor, known as one of the great interpreters of Wagner's music, particularly at the Metropolitan
Opera in New York. He later became the music director of the San Francisco Symphony, between
1915 and 1930. He led the symphony's first recordings for the Victor Talking Machine
Company. He died from heart failure at age 69
Let's head to the other side of the mausoleum, to find the crypt of producer, Walter Wanger.
He began at Paramount, where his first success was pitching the British novel, The Sheik,
as a potential film. It was a huge success, launching the career of Rudolph Valentino.
He worked for a time for many of the major studios before forming his own production
company, where he would groom young stars like Charles Boyer and Henry Fonda. Films
like John Ford's Stagecoach and Victor Fleming s Joan of Arc would make him one of the big
names in Hollywood production. His name would also be associated with a Hollywood scandal
when he shot and wounded the agent of his wife, actress Joan Bennett, suspecting they
were having an affair. He served 4 months in prison, then was back to making movies,
the last of which was his biggest gamble, the most expensive movie made up to that point,
Cleopatra. The film earned him an Oscar nomination in 1964. He died a few years later from a
heart attack. Check the tag on your pants if it says Levi's
you might have this man to thank, a man whose name has become synonymous with blue
jeans, Levi Strauss. He was born in Bavaria in 1829 and moved to the US at age 18. He
began Levi Strauss & Co. in 1853 here in San Francisco as a wholesale business, but soon
teamed up with Jacob Davis to produce his riveted denim pants. The men patented the
new style of work pants, blue jeans, in 1873. The rest, as they say, is history. Strauss
died in 1902 at age 73. Several sections northeast we find the grave
of actor Charles Lane. He had close to 400 credits to his name, in a career that spanned
7 decades. You saw him in many of Frank Capra's films, including It's a Wonderful Life,
and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. He was also a regular on television, performing a number
of times alongside Lucille Ball, and as Homer Bedloe on Petticoat Junction. He lived to
be 102. Moving on now to our next Colma cemetery:
Woodlawn, just northwest of Hills of Eternity. Just a couple graves to find here. The southernmost
lawn is Section G. Here, at the base of a tree, we find Alex Anderson. He was a cartoonist,
best known for his collaboration with Jay Ward, creating a number of beloved cartoon
characters, including Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, and Crusader
Rabbit. With the exception of Crusader Rabbit, Anderson initially didn't get any recognition
for the co-creation of these characters, as they were copyrighted in Ward's name alone.
He sued and was later acknowledged as an originator of Rocky, Bullwinkle, and Dudley Do-Right.
Anderson spent his later years working in advertising. He died at age 90 from complications
of Alzheimer's. Just northwest of here on this same lawn we
find a unique character in American history, Emperor Norton. In September of 1859, Joshua
Abraham Norton took out ads in San Francisco newspapers to declare himself Emperor of the
United States, and Protector of Mexico. He would issue decrees, largely ignored of course,
to dissolve Congress and both political parties. The eccentric Emperor Norton would stroll
the streets of his dominion of San Francisco in an elaborate blue uniform, attending to
the needs of his subjects. While he had no real political power, he became something
of a beloved local icon in that era, and his call to build a bridge between San Francisco
and Oakland was indeed eventually realized in the form of the Bay Bridge in the 1930s.
His whimsical 21-year reign over America came to an end in 1880 when Emperor Norton passed
away. Our last Colma Cemetery is Olivet Memorial
Park, just east of Woodlawn. One of the distinct features here is something
we ve seen before, at Evergreen for example. This section is a Showman's Rest, an area
of the cemetery dedicated to traveling circus and carnival performers. This monument was
dedicated in 1945 by the Showfolks of America Organization, and surrounding the monument
are graves of clowns, acrobats, sideshow and other carnival workers, all who wished to
be laid to rest amongst their own. Just off the entrance to Olivet is a columbarium.
Heading into room M, along the bottom row, we find the niche of Marguerite de la Motte.
She began her career as a dancer, training under Anna Pavlova, and by the 20s was appearing
in films. She's perhaps best remembered for teaming up with the King of Hollywood, Douglas
Fairbanks, in a number of his films, including The Mark of Zorro, The Three Musketeers, and
The Iron Mask. Marguerite had trouble transitioning into
the talkies though, and her career declined. She was just 47 when she died from a cerebral
thrombosis. Time to say goodbye to the Colma Necropolis,
and cross over the Bay Bridge into Oakland. Mountain View Cemetery is the king of cemeteries
on this side of the bay. Founded in 1863, Mountain View is home to many of the region's
notable and wealthy former residents, the wealthiest among them with this hillside view
of the bay, in a stretch known as Millionaire's Row. Our first stop here at Mountain View is in section 12, where we find Frank Norris. He
was a 19th century author, known as one of the early adopters of naturalism in writing.
His stories capture the American West in the progressive era, including McTeague, and The
Octopus. McTeague was the basis for Erich von Stroheim's silent film magnum opus, Greed,
in 1924. Frank Norris was just 32 when he died from appendicitis. The flowers were in bloom on this hillside after a week of rain, blooming for a woman
named for a flower: The Black Dahlia. Here lies Elizabeth Short. She was an aspiring
actress, working as a waitress in Hollywood in the 40s, though there are no known film
credits to her name. Any infamy she may have aspired to in life would only find her after
death. On the morning of January 15, 1947, a woman was walking with her 3-year-old daughter
in an undeveloped Los Angeles neighborhood when she noticed what looked like a store
mannequin not far from the sidewalk in a vacant lot. She quickly realized it was the body
of a woman, nude, and bisected at the waist. It was Elizabeth. Her severely mutilated body
had been drained of blood, indicating she had been murdered elsewhere and posed in this
lot to be discovered. The brutal nature of the case caught headlines nationwide, and
she was posthumously dubbed the Black Dahlia. Despite years of investigation and numerous
suspects, no one was ever charged or tried for Elizabeth's murder. Hers is perhaps the
most famous unsolved murder in American history, and owing to the horrific nature of the case,
it has lingered in the cultural and popular consciousness for decades, generating countless
theories and wide public speculation about what happened to that poor girl back in 1947.
Elizabeth' s story would be the subject of numerous true-crime productions, and would
also be fictionalized a number of times, including in American Horror Story, and a film featuring
her sobriquet. On a hill overlooking the cemetery and Oakland
off in the distance is the mausoleum of San Francisco's most famous chocolatier, Ghirardelli.
His grave would have been a nice addition to our food lovers special we did a few years
back. In 1849 Italian Domingo Ghirardelli came to America and opened a confectionary
shop in San Francisco. This was the beginning of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. It is
now one of the oldest, and certainly tastiest, chocolate makers in the US. Domingo died back
in Italy from influenza in 1894 at age 76, and was laid to rest here with his family. Heading north now to section 47, up the hill and close to a tree, is the grave of Andre
Hicks, known as Mac Dre. He was a rapper, a pioneer of hip hop here in the Bay Area.
He rose to prominence in the 90s, even forming his own label, Thizz Entertainment. His track
Feelin' Myself was included in the films Fruitvale Station, and Blindspotting. [music] Mac Dre's career was cut short after a performance
in Kansas City when an unidentified gunman pulled up alongside their van and shot him.
He was 34, and the case remains unsolved. And finally, for our last stop here in San
Francisco, we head to the main mausoleum, to find a man who contributed to the San Francisco
landscape by helping give it its most iconic landmark. This is the niche of Irving Morrow,
one of the architects of the Golden Gate Bridge. Working with chief engineer Joseph Strauss,
Irving Morrow gave the bridge the art deco style, and chose that iconic orange for the
main color. Construction on the bridge began in 1933, connecting San Francisco to Marin
County to the north. So next time you span the Golden Gate, give a shoutout to Mr. Morrow
here. And that concludes our tour. What are some
of your favorite memories of the stars we visited today? Share them in the comments
below, and be sure to like, share, and subscribe for more famous grave tours.
Thanks for watching! We'll see you on the next one.
